F.E.A.R - PC CDROM
F.E.A.R. is the new FPS from Sierra that combines the traits of an FPS with those from the horror genre. So, does it combine these two things well?
First off, I’d like to mention the graphics. You’ll need a high spec PC to set them high, but if you can then the game looks very nice. Shiny surfaces look shiny, dull surfaces look dull (something that seems to be lacking in other games sometimes) and dark sections are very, very dark. And you will encounter a lot of dark sections, believe me. Darkness is used a lot in the game to heighten the tension or general scariness of an area, a tried and tested method that works well. The guns all have pretty nice effects when firing them and their effect on walls and enemies is rather impressive. I think the greatest thing in terms of graphics is the fires, as they look very nice. The reflex (more on this later) bullet traces also look nice, and show just how bad a shot some of the enemies are. Water also looks pretty nice, but the large pools of blood you see at some points don’t have quite as nice a surface. As for physics, when you’re playing it’s very similar to like Half Life 2 in terms of the physics and ‘feel’ of the game, and that’s no bad thing.
The sounds of the game are generally quiet, and just as generally oppressive. The game uses the music to further enhance the mood of the game, much in the same way as it uses darkness. Sound is a major factor when playing the game, as it can help when fighting enemies considerably. What your enemies say can tell you a lot about the condition of their squad, which could help you decide on whether to bull rush that last opponent or take cover when they attempt to flank you.
And now for gameplay, which some would say is the most important factor. The gameplay of FEAR is a mixture of gunfights, finding the right passageway and getting very afraid due to a young girl that has a tendency to appear and then kill everything in the vicinity. As I’ve said, gunfights work in pretty much the same way as in Half Life 2, generally consisting of you against various enemy squads who all have very good AI. There are quite a few types of enemies, and as you get further into the game they can get rather difficult, the E.V.E. units spring to mind. But of course, they also carry bigger guns… which you can then take and use on them.
As I said when talking about sounds, the enemies communicate while attacking. They often scream some kind of battlecry near the start of the battle, and then when they’re down to the last one or two members then they’ll call for reinforcements (although in my experience none have ever came). In any situation, there is something that is fairly uncommon in FPS games; (although it comes up a lot in third person shooters) that being reflex. Reflex is essentially the famed ‘bullet time’, as seen in the Matrix, Max Payne, etc. etc. Apparently your character has absurd reflex times and sees everyone in slow motion, and reflex is basically putting that into effect. It’s useful in a lot of situations, for example sniping, but my personal favourite use of it is to charge a small, tightly grouped squad of enemies. This is effective due to another thing implemented better in this game than others: the melee attack. There are 5 attacks available, from the standard punch to the rather deadly jumping kick. When used in conjunction with reflex, these can be used to take out an entire squad of enemies before they can even find their aim, which is fun, especially when you charge at them and their bullets leave traces in the air all around you. Grenades are fairly useful to damage a group of enemies or finish off that last survivor who refuses to leave cover. I never found a use for remote or proximity mines however.
As has already been said, there are a lot of dark sections in the game, and you’ll want to use your flashlight a lot. However, don’t just shine it around everywhere as if an enemy spots it there’ll be a squad on top of you in seconds. While playing through the game, there are often alternative methods of getting to some places, through vents etc., that result in either a different vantage point to eliminate enemies from or a health or reflex booster, which boosts the max health/reflex time you can have. There are also various sections in which you’ll see that you’re receiving a message over the radio but the source is unknown… and shortly afterwards roofing tiles will fall, the lights will go out, or maybe even a ghost will appear. At times of extreme spiritual activity the game will automatically activate reflex (without depleting your meter) as generally bad things happen, like Alma appearing (Alma being the previously mentioned 8 year old psychopath), which adds to the tension even more. The horror in the game is very atmospheric, the lights, sounds and objects around all being used to create suspense and tension.
All in all, FEAR is a very good game, and I highly recommend it to those who like the FPS genre and don’t mind a bit of a fright at the same time. I give it 9/10, as perfection isn’t possible but this game is pretty close to it.
